Maggie MacKeever by Lady Bliss

Lennox from the arms of her unwary betrothed, and it was hardly fair that the viscount—who after all had been generous—should be at such disadvantage. “Damned serious,” she said gloomily.
    “Then I must see Jynx out of her difficulties. How great is the sum?”
    Such forbearance was very nice in the viscount, decided Lady Bliss, but it posed her further difficulties. “I do not know. Innis—” And then she bit her tongue.
    Shannon recalled, unhappily, the allure that Innis Ashley held for the ladies. He also recalled Miss Lennox’s remark that he resembled, in disapproving moments, her Aunt Eulalia. And then he cursed the day that Miss Lennox had got caught up with Lady Bliss and her rake-helly crew.
    Lady Bliss had engaged in her own cogitations, to good effect, despite her unfamiliarity with the exercise. “Shannon,” she pointed out cautiously, “I do not think you should tell Miss Lennox what you’ve learned. She will be cruelly embarrassed, and is likely to blame it all on you.”
    “You’re right,” agreed Lord Roxbury, with no little surprise. “Not that Jynx would be embarrassed, but my interference would put her all out of patience with me.” And, he added silently, as he recalled the two baronets, three earls, royal duke and the unhappy marquess, his position was not so firm, despite the encouraging advances made the night before, that he dared hazard Miss Lennox’s displeasure. “Adorée, I think I may see a way out of this, but you must help me.”
    “ I help you?” echoed Lady Bliss. “I don’t know how you think I may help you when I myself am in the suds! And don’t tell me to rid myself of Innis and close the gaming rooms, because for one thing Innis wouldn’t go! And if I did close the gaming rooms I would be no better off, because I can tell a Greek or a Captain Sharp, and I can deal for a faro bank, but I can do absolutely nothing else and have no other way to bring in money!”
    Lord Roxbury was in no frame of mind to listen further to such woes. Nonetheless, he was a well-bred Englishman of rank, and this lady had whiled away with him some pleasant hours indeed, and furthermore he required her assistance. “Help me,” he interrupted, “and I will in turn help you.” She stared at him, arrested in midspeech. “I will pay off the most pressing of your creditors, Adorée. Make me up a list.”
    “Shannon!” So relieved was Lady Bliss to be rid of this problem that she flung herself again into his arms and wept. Lord Roxbury, who was singularly unstirred by tears that fell as easily as spring rain, waited with resignation for the storm to pass. Jynx had a penchant for the cards? It seemed he had much to learn about Miss Lennox.
    No less did Innis Ashley, and he looked forward with pleasure to educating himself. With equal pleasure he observed his silly sister sobbing in the arms of the generous viscount. “A truly moving scene,” Innis drawled from the doorway.
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Lord Roxbury had been prudent indeed not to wager on his fiancée’s continued ignorance of his association with Lady Bliss, as he had been wise in viewing Eulalia Wimple as an adder in his path. Eulalia had a veritable bladderful of poison, and she meant to disgorge it in such a fashion that it could not miss its target.
    This evening found the Lennox family at a musical party held by the great Whig hostess Lady Holland. It was a small gathering of about one thousand persons, and among them were many illustrious members of the haul ton. Concerts at Holland House were fine entertainments where only the greatest talent in the metropolis was engaged.
    Nonetheless, Miss Lennox was not enjoying herself to any great degree. This was no fault of Catalini, who had been lured away from the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket to enliven Lady Holland’s fête, but to the insidious voice of Eulalia Wimple in her ear. “Look at our hostess!” hissed Eulalia, who was once more embarked upon her